🥃 Zombie
Zombie is a strong rum tiki cocktail of three rums, lime, falernum and spices; it was created by Donn Beach in Hollywood in 1934. A tiki classic for rum fans, on the IBA list.
Zombie is the tiki cocktail rum fans know as the classic strong one, mixed from three different rums, lime juice, falernum syrup and spices. It was created in 1934 by Donn Beach (Ernest Raymond Beaumont-Gantt) at his Hollywood establishment Don the Beachcomber. He changed the recipe over more than twenty years.
IBA recipe. 45 ml of Jamaican dark rum, 45 ml of golden Puerto Rican rum and 30 ml of demerara rum, plus 20 ml of lime juice, 15 ml of falernum, 15 ml of Donn's Mix, a teaspoon of grenadine, a dash of Angostura and six drops of Pernod. Everything is blended with ice and served in a tall glass with mint.
Mixing the rums. According to Difford's Guide, the 1930s version combined an aged Jamaican, a golden Puerto Rican and a demerara rum at 151 proof (over 75 % ABV). In the 1950s version the three rums were used in equal parts. Later passion fruit, pineapple, maraschino and brown sugar were added. Over several decades of changes, the modern IBA and Difford's Guide recipes differ noticeably from the first record of 1934.
Legend. According to the story, the name was given by a customer who felt "like a zombie" after the drink. This is folklore rather than a documented fact. After 1934 Beach changed the formula, so there are still several "original" versions, and modern bartenders recreate them from the notes of tiki culture historians.
Why this matters to you. Several kinds of rum together with juices and syrups hide the strength, so the drink is deceptive. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Raw material | three rums (Jamaican, Puerto Rican, demerara), lime, falernum, Donn's Mix, grenadine, Angostura, Pernod (IBA recipe) |
|---|---|
| Year founded | 1934, Don the Beachcomber, Hollywood (Donn Beach) |
| Legal basis | official IBA cocktail, Contemporary Classics category |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Zombie → affects → 🍷 Alcohol and health ← affects ← 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Made from
- 🥃 Absinthe, 🥃 Cocktail bitters
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 Americans
- Part of
- 🥃 Rum
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Mai Tai, 🥃 Daiquiri, 🥃 Stinger, 🥃 Stinger, 🥃 Vieux Carré, 🥃 Vieux Carré, 🥃 Tuxedo, 🥃 Tuxedo, 🥃 White Lady, 🥃 White Lady
Frequently asked questions
Who created the Zombie cocktail and when?
Donn Beach in 1934 at the Don the Beachcomber establishment in Hollywood; he changed the recipe for about twenty years.
What rums are in the IBA Zombie?
Jamaican dark, golden Puerto Rican and demerara rum: 45, 45 and 30 ml.
Is the Zombie made with one rum?
No. The IBA recipe combines three different rums: Jamaican dark, golden Puerto Rican and demerara.
Why is the drink called Zombie?
According to the story, a customer felt "like a zombie" after the drink; this is a legend, not a documented fact.
How does the Zombie differ from the Mai Tai?
The Zombie is stronger and more complex, with three rums and falernum; the Mai Tai is lighter, with orgeat and curaçao.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🧑🤝🧑 Americans — The people of the United States in North America, descendants of settlers and Native peoples; their home-grown cheese is California's Monterey Jack.
- 🥃 Tuxedo — Tuxedo is a classic gin martini-style cocktail on the IBA list: equal parts Old Tom gin and dry vermouth, with maraschino, a touch of absinthe and orange bitters.
- 🥃 Absinthe — Wormwood and anise spirit drink. The EU caps thujone at 35 mg/kg; “Absinthe de Pontarlier” (EU GI) requires at least 45% ABV (90 proof) and 20 mg/l of thujone.
- 🥃 Cocktail bitters — Highly concentrated bitter tinctures of herbs, roots, spices and peel in strong spirit; they are added to cocktails by the dash, like a seasoning. Best known: Angostura and Peychaud's.
Similar
🥃 Cuba Libre · 🥃 Whiskey Sour · 🥃 Planter's Punch · 🥃 Piña Colada · 🥃 Mary Pickford · 🥃 Mojito
Sources
- IBA — International Bartenders Association: Zombie (Contemporary Classics; 45 ml Jamaican dark rum, 45 ml gold Puerto Rican rum, 30 ml Demerara rum, 20 ml lime juice, 15 ml falernum, 15 ml Donn's Mix, grenadine, Angostura, Pernod; blended with ice)
- Difford's Guide: Zombie cocktail recipe and history — created by Donn Beach at Don the Beachcomber's, Hollywood, in 1934; recipe revised over two decades; blended with crushed ice; three rums, lime, falernum, grapefruit or pineapple juice, cinnamon syrup, grenadine, Angostura, absinthe
- PUNCH: Zombie cocktail recipe (tiki classic)
- Chilled Magazine: Creating a Drink in History — The Zombie
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)